MANORS

Before 1066 THEYDON MOUNT was held by
Godric as a manor and as 3 hides and 80
acres. After the Conquest it was given by
William I to Robert Fitz Wimarc, who
was still alive in 1069 but had been succeeded in or
before 1075 by his son Swein. Robert was Sheriff of
Essex and the office was later held by Swein. (fn. 1) Swein
made his castle at Rayleigh, which became the head of
his honor and from that time the manor of Theydon
Mount was always held of the Honor of Rayleigh. (fn. 2)
In 1086 the manor was held of Swein by one Robert. (fn. 3)
Swein was succeeded by his son Robert of Essex, the
founder of Prittlewell Priory, and Robert of Essex was
succeeded by his son Henry of Essex. (fn. 4)

In 1163 Henry of Essex, then Constable of England,
failed to clear himself of a charge of cowardice during
a war against the Welsh, and was deprived of all his
lands. (fn. 5) Henry II appears to have granted 3 knight's
fees in the Honor of Rayleigh to one William, thereafter known as William de Theydon. This William
was apparently alive in 1194. (fn. 6) Upon his death these
lands passed to Robert de Theydon, probably his son.
Robert or a namesake had had the wood at Theydon
as early as 1163 and when this property was taken by
the king he received compensation of 20s. a year. (fn. 7)
Robert was succeeded by his son Henry de Theydon
who seems to have been in possession of Theydon
Mount early in the reign of John. In 1215 Henry was
one of the garrison of Rochester castle when it surrendered to the king. (fn. 8) His lands were undoubtedly
taken into the king's hands but in 1217 Henry's son
Paulinus de Theydon was granted the lands formerly
held by his father in Gloucestershire (fn. 9) and it is probable that he received Theydon Mount at the same
time. Paulinus certainly held Theydon by 1225 when
he was given licence to hold a weekly market and an
annual fair there. (fn. 10) In 1227 he was also granted deer
for the park. (fn. 11) He died in or shortly before January
1233, when Walter de Evermue was granted the
custody of the daughter and heir of Paulinus. (fn. 12) Paulinus
had held 3 knights' fees in Theydon and Little
Wakering. (fn. 13)

Beatrice de Theydon, daughter of Paulinus, married
before 1236 Robert de Briwes. (fn. 14) In 1239 Robert and
Beatrice were granted a weekly market and annual fair
in their manor of Theydon. (fn. 15) In 1248 the manor and
the advowson of the rectory were sub-infeudated for
100 marks to John de Lessington, to hold of Robert
and Beatrice and the heirs of the latter, doing service
of 2 knights' fees at the court of the Honor of Rayleigh. (fn. 16) An inspeximus of the accompanying charter
gives the consideration as 1,000 marks and the object
to acquit Robert and Beatrice of what they owed to
the king as executors of the will of Hubert de Burgh
and of their debts to the Jews for themselves and for
Walter de Evermue their ancestor. (fn. 17) In 1250 John
de Lessington had licence to keep inclosed, with a
hedge and ditch, the close which he had made in the
wood of his manor of Theydon, but so that the deer
could have ingress and egress. (fn. 18) He died in 1257 holding the manor, which contained 3 carucates of land, of
Robert de Briwes for the service of 2 knights' fees. His
heir was his brother, Henry de Lessington, Bishop of
Lincoln. (fn. 19) The bishop died in 1258, being succeeded
by his two nephews William, son of Roland de Sutton,
and Richard de Markham. (fn. 20) They divided this inheritance (which lay in several counties) between them in
1259, Theydon Mount falling to Sutton's share. (fn. 21)

William de Sutton was succeeded by his son Robert,
who was a supporter of Simon de Montfort and forfeited his property to the king after the battle of
Evesham. (fn. 22) The township of Theydon Mount was
valued at £10 and in 1265 Richard de Tany the
younger received the Michaelmas rent of 40s. (fn. 23) In
October of the same year the king granted the manor to
Robert de Briwes, presumably the same man who had
sub-infeudated to John de Lessington in 1248. But
Richard de Tany, who was lord of the adjacent manor
of Stapleford Tawney, coveted Theydon Mount, put
out de Briwes, and in support of his action produced a
charter dated three days earlier than that of de Briwes
and contrived to have it entered on the Charter Roll.
De Briwes declared de Tany's charter to be a forgery
and upon investigation by the justices coram Rege this
was proved to be the case. The chancery official who
had the Chancellor's list of grants admitted that de
Tany had said to him 'Theydon is a pretty manor and
lies next to mine at Stapleford; it would just do for
me', and had clearly responded to the hint. (fn. 24)

In 1269 Beatrice daughter of Henry de Terays
released to Sir Robert de Briwes all her right in the
manors of Theydon and Wakering and in all the lands
late of Paulinus de Theydon and the said Henry (fn. 25) and
when Robert went on pilgrimage to Pontigny in 1273
he appointed William and Richard del Jardyn to
prosecute his right to the custody of Theydon Mount. (fn. 26)

The manor must, however, have been restored to
Robert de Sutton, possibly as a result of the Ban of
Kenilworth, for on his death in 1274 he was found to
hold in Theydon Mount a messuage, 200 acres of
arable, 21 acres of meadow, 51 acres of pasture, a
windmill, foreign wood, and £4 5s. 6½d. rent of assize,
&c., of the Honor of Rayleigh by service of suit at the
court of the honor, a gilt spur or 6d. yearly, and scutage
for 2 knights. His heir was his son Richard, aged 8. (fn. 27)

Robert de Briwes, the former mesne lord, died in
1276, leaving his son John as his heir. (fn. 28) No further
references have been found to their lordship, the
tenants in demesne thenceforth always holding immediately of the Honor of Rayleigh.

In 1282 a commission of oyer and terminer was
issued touching the persons who felled and carried
away trees in the wood of 'Theydon Lessington' late
of Robert de Sutton the younger, while in the hands
of Oliver de Sutton, Bishop of Lincoln, who had
custody of the land and heir. (fn. 29) In 1303 Richard de
Sutton was returned as holding ½ fee of the king of the
Honor of Rayleigh. (fn. 30) In 1308 he had licence to grant
the manor of Theydon Mount in fee to his son John
de Sutton and Margaret his wife. (fn. 31)

In 1322 John de Sutton leased the manor for twelve
years to Henry de Malyns and in the following year
released to him all his right in the property. Malyns
must have died soon after, for in 1324 John de Sutton
released his right in the manor to Edmund de Malyns,
Henry's son and heir. (fn. 32) In 1326 Edmund was pardoned for acquiring in fee this property which was
held in chief of the Honor of Rayleigh and entering
upon it without licence. (fn. 33) In 1346 he held ½ knight's
fee in Theydon Mount. (fn. 34)

Sir John de Sutton of Dudley (Worc.), son of the
above John and Margaret de Sutton, disputed de
Malyns' title to the manor, claiming that it descended
to him after the death of his parents. In 1348 and
again in 1350 the matter was heard before the court of
Common Pleas, but Malyns evidently won his case. (fn. 35)
He was apparently alive in 1357 but had been succeeded by his son Reynold Malyns before December
1361, when the latter presented to the rectory of
Theydon Mount. (fn. 36) Sir Reynold died in 1384 holding
the manor jointly with his wife Florence. His son and
heir was Edmund Malyns. (fn. 37) Florence was still holding
the manor in 1390. (fn. 38) In 1400 the manor was conveyed by Thomas Waller and two others, presumably
feoffees, to Reynold Malyns and his wife Alice and the
heirs of Reynold. (fn. 39) In 1418 Reynold and Alice conveyed the manor of Theydon Mount and Hill Hall
(see below) to feoffees to hold of the chief lords with
successive remainders to the heirs of Reynold and then
to Edmund Hampden and his heirs. (fn. 40) In 1428
Reynold was found to hold ½ fee in Theydon Mount
formerly held by Richard de Sutton. (fn. 41) He died in
1431. There is no specific reference to Theydon
Mount in his will, nor any mention of children, (fn. 42) and
in 1434 Alice his widow released her right in the manor
to Sir Hugh Halsham, kt., and others who held it by
her feoffment. (fn. 43)

Thomas Hampden died holding the manor in
1486. (fn. 44) He was the grandson of an Edmund Hampden
who died in 1420 (fn. 45) and who was probably the man
upon whom the remainder of the manor had been
settled in 1418. If this identification is correct the
manor had probably passed after the death of Alice
Malyns to John Hampden (d. 1450-1), son and heir
of Edmund and father of the above Thomas. Thomas's
heir was his son John, but Theydon Mount was left
to his widow Margery. (fn. 46) She appears to have held it
until her death in 1506, as her will refers to her property at Hill Hall. (fn. 47) The manor then seems to have
passed to her grandson (Sir) John Hampden, son of
John Hampden. In 1532 Sir John settled it, excepting chief rents, for the jointure of his wife Philippa,
daughter of William Wylford of London, merchant. (fn. 48)
In 1548 he further settled the manor upon himself and
his wife for their lives, with remainder to Edward
Ferrers son of one of Sir John's daughters, and his wife
Bridget, daughter of William, Lord Windsor, in tail. (fn. 49)
Sir John Hampden died in 1553 and in the following
year his widow married Sir Thomas Smyth, son of
John Smyth of Saffron Walden. (fn. 50) Sir Thomas (1513-
77) Secretary of State under Edward VI and Elizabeth
I, Ambassador to France 1562-6, and author of De
Republica Anglorum, lived at Theydon Mount and
started building the present Hill Hall. (fn. 51) In 1556 he
purchased from Ferrers and his wife their reversionary
interest in the manor in return for an annuity of
£3 6s. 8d. payable during the life of Philippa and of
£30 thereafter. In 1559-60 Ferrers released to Smyth
all his interest in these annuities, binding himself in the
sum of £400 to join with his wife in a final concord to
extinguish her rights therein. Ferrers, however, never
carried out this obligation and Smyth brought an action
in Chancery, complaining that Ferrers had died leaving
neither goods nor lands in fee simple, whereby he
might have execution of the recognizance, and that
Bridget, who had later married Andrew Ognall, had
refused to make her release, so that Smyth still remained
charged with the payment of the rents. It was also
alleged that just before the conveyance of 1556 Ferrers
had leased the manor in two parts, one part with the
mansion house of Mount Hall to Robert Fynche for an
annual rent of £20, the other part called Hill Hall to
Thomas Luther and his mother for £10 a year, so that
Philippa lost her jointure. In consequence of this,
according to Smyth's statement, her brother John
Wylford had put into execution a bond under which
Ferrers was obliged to maintain the jointure, and it
was for this reason, among others, that Ferrers had
sought financial help from Sir Thomas in return for
the sale of his reversionary interest in the manor. In
1576 the case was decided in Sir Thomas's
favour. (fn. 52)

During Sir Thomas Smyth's tenure of the manor it
was said to be held of the Honor of Rayleigh at an
annual rent of 3s. 8d. (fn. 53) He died in 1577 and his wife
in 1578. The manor then passed under a settlement
made by Sir Thomas shortly before his death to his
natural brother George Smyth. George died in 1584
and the manor passed successively to his son (d. 1626)
and grandson (d. 1632), both named Sir William
Smyth. Edward, son and heir of the second Sir William,
died in 1652, being succeeded by Thomas, brother of
that Sir William, who was created a baronet in 1661.
The manor subsequently descended with the baronetcy
of Smyth (later Bowyer-Smijth) until 1916, when the
12th baronet, Sir William Bowyer-Smijth, died unmarried. (fn. 54) The baronetcy then passed to a cousin of
the 12th baronet, but the manorial rights of Theydon
Mount seem to have passed to his sisters, Mrs. Battye
and Mrs. Northcote. (fn. 55) In the later title deeds of the
manor it is always called Mount Hall.

For the manor houses of Mount Hall and Hill Hall
see below, Hill Hall.

The manor of HILL HALL was held of that of
Theydon Mount. In 1373 Richard de Northampton,
herald, and Katherine his wife made conveyance of a
messuage, 210 acres of land, 28 acres of meadow, 4
acres of wood, and 8d. rent in Theydon Mount and
Theydon Garnon, and properties in Hertfordshire. (fn. 56)
In 1384 they conveyed the same properties to John
Cokyng, Robert Somerset, and Thomas de Kent, presumably as feoffees. (fn. 57) In his will, proved in 1389,
Northampton left the 'manor of Theydon Mount' to
his wife Joan to support a chaplain in the church of
Theydon. (fn. 58) Soon after the probate Cokyng, Somerset,
and Kent granted an annual rent of 10 marks to John
Hemersthorp and others from the manor of Hill Hall
and a few days later they conveyed to Nicholas Exton,
alderman of London and Joan his wife all the properties conveyed to them in 1384. (fn. 59) In 1390 they
received the royal licence to found a chantry in the
church of Theydon Mount and endow it with ½ acre
of land and 10 marks rent from the manor of Hill Hall.
The manor was then said to be held of Florence
Malyns as of her manor of Theydon Mount by knight
service and an annual rent of 15s. 7d., 1 lb. wax, 1 lb.
pepper, and 2 capons, and besides the above land and
rent Hill Hall was worth 40s. (fn. 60) In 1391 it was found
that the licence was not valid as Hill Hall was not a
manor, and a new licence was issued in which the
phrase 'issuing from their messuage, 210 acres of land,
28 acres of meadow, and 4 acres of wood' was substituted for 'issuing from the manor called Hill Hall'. (fn. 61)
In 1397 Walter Pynchon of London and Joan his wife
quitclaimed to William Gascoigne and four others
properties described in the same terms as in the conveyances of 1373 and 1384. (fn. 62) This suggests that Joan
Pynchon was formerly Joan Exton, and she may also
have been identical with Joan widow of Richard de
Northampton.

In and after 1412 Hill Hall descended along with
the main manor of Theydon Mount, and was sometimes styled a manor. The above account suggests that
Hill Hall may originally have formed the demesne of
the manor of Theydon Mount. From the 16th century
onwards the mansion of Hill Hall was the seat of the
lords of the manor of Theydon Mount. It remained so
until towards the end of the 19th century, when it was
for some time unoccupied. (fn. 63) From about 1900 to
1908 it was let to an eccentric who called himself the
Duke de Moro. (fn. 64) Soon after 1908 Charles Hunter
became the tenant. (fn. 65) Mrs. Charles Hunter left the
house in 1925 and in the same year it was bought by
Sir Robert Hudson. (fn. 66) It was subsequently the residence of Lady Edward Hay, was later acquired by the
Prison Commissioners, and in 1952 was opened as an
open prison for women. (fn. 67)

When Sir Thomas Smyth acquired Theydon Mount
on his marriage to Sir John Hampden's widow there
were two houses there. These were known as Mount
Hall and Hill Hall, (fn. 68) and probably represented a
survival from the time when the two manors were in
separate ownership. Mount Hall is thought to have
stood about 100 yds. north of the church and to have
survived as a farm-house until the 19th century. (fn. 69) It
then disappeared during improvements to the southeast corner of Hill Hall park. (fn. 70) The position of the
original Hill Hall is not known. The present brick
mansion, which stands on a commanding site about
450 yds. north-west of the church, was largely the
work of Sir Thomas Smyth himself. If in the first
instance he made additions to an existing medieval
structure, all trace of this has now vanished. It is true
that some features of the present Hill Hall are slightly
earlier in style than the rest of the house but these are
unlikely to date from before the middle of the 16th
century. Even at this period the use of brick in a richly
timbered area was an innovation.

Evidence concerning the exact dates of Sir Thomas
Smyth's work at Hill Hall is conflicting. According to
Strype the shell of the house was finished in 1568. (fn. 71) In
Smyth's own diary (not used by Strype) the following
entries occur:

It has been suggested that these entries may refer to
Mount Hall, and that Smyth did not start work on
Hill Hall until some years later. (fn. 73) Certainly much still
remained to be done at Hill Hall at Smyth's death in
1577, and he made provision in his will for the completion of the house. He left £20 to his chief architect (fn. 74)
Richard Kirby, to be paid when the building was tiled,
and £10 to his steward to oversee the workmen. (fn. 75) In
August 1577 Philippa, Sir Thomas's widow, agreed
with his executors to allow them the materials from
'within the ground of Hill Hall or Mount Hall' to
make 150,000 bricks and 'sufficient wood and straw
for two years as shall suffice for the covering and
furnishing of the said new building'. (fn. 76) Four years after
Smyth's death £800 had already been spent by his
executors and the house was still unfinished. (fn. 77) It was
then explicitly stated that 'some few years' before his
death Smyth had 'laid the plot of a fair and goodly
house of brick'. (fn. 78) At the time of his death Smyth had
had personal possessions at both Hill Hall and Mount
Hall. (fn. 79) From 1554, when he married Philippa, until
at least 1557 he appears to have lived at Hill Hall,
while Thomas Luther lived at Mount Hall. (fn. 80) In
several documents relating to Theydon Mount at this
period there is confusion of nomenclature between
Hill Hall and Mount Hall. (fn. 81) On the whole, however,
it seems probable that the building of the present Hill
Hall was carried out in two stages, the first being finished
in 1569 and the second, more ambitious stage being
started some time later, during the last years of Sir
Thomas's life.

The courtyard plan on which Hill Hall is built
follows the usual arrangement of the Tudor period,
but the special architectural interest of the house lies
in its early use of renaissance detail, in particular the
application of classical orders to the external walls.
These are carried out in plaster, intended to simulate
stone. The fact that much of the plaster was replaced
by cement in the 19th century has led some authorities
to suppose that the external orders were applied at that
time. (fn. 82) There is ample evidence, however, that they
were part of the original design. Sir Thomas Smyth
was one of a group of notable men who had been
associated with the Protector Somerset when old
Somerset House, probably the first building in the
country to use classical detail on an extensive scale, was
being constructed. The influence of Somerset House
is seen in the subsequent building activities of other
members of the group including Sir John Thynne and
William Cecil, later Lord Burghley. (fn. 83) Sir William
Smyth's own interest in architecture is proved by the
existence in his library of several editions of Vitruvius. (fn. 84)
The early renaissance style in this country owes more
to French than to Italian influence and Sir Thomas had
special opportunities of observing the architecture of
France during his embassies abroad. The details in the
courtyard at Hill Hall have been compared with those
at the château of Bournazel near Toulouse. (fn. 85) Smyth
stayed at Toulouse in 1565 and again in 1571. (fn. 86) The
external columns at Hill Hall are known to have been
in existence in the 17th and 18th centuries and to
have been accepted then as the work of Sir Thomas
Smyth. (fn. 87)

Another outstanding feature of Hill Hall is the set of
16th-century wall-paintings, some discovered as
recently as 1951. A modern authority has described
their technical accomplishment as 'without parallel
among surviving examples in England'. (fn. 88)

The subsequent history of the house involved many
alterations, making it difficult to date accurately the
different parts of the building. The first major reconstruction took place in the late 17th and early 18th
centuries when the east range was rebuilt by Sir
Edward Smyth, 2nd bt. (fn. 89) The work was probably
completed by his son. Early in the 19th century there
were alterations and restorations by Sir William Smijth.
Soon after 1912, during the tenancy of Mrs. Charles
Hunter, the house was extended and the interior much
embellished by Mr. (later Sir) Reginald Blomfield. (fn. 90)
In 1940 the explosion of a German landmine near the
west range caused considerable damage. In 1950-2,
when the building was being prepared for its use as a
prison, a thorough restoration was carried out by the
Ministry of Works under the direction of its Ancient
Monuments Inspectorate.

As it stands today Hill Hall consists of four ranges
of building enclosing a central courtyard. In the main
it is of two stories, but at the ends of the south front
there are two tower-like projections, each of three
stories. A lower wing continues the line of the north
range at its west end, and north of this is a single-story
service wing. At the junction of the north and west
ranges there is an octagonal angle buttress. The projecting wing contains the remains of a gatehouse which
has a three-centred arch and a semi-octagonal stair
turret flanking it. All these features are typically Tudor
in character, and it is possible that they were the work
of Sir Thomas Smyth during an early phase of his
building at Hill Hall. One authority has suggested
that they were in existence before his time. (fn. 91) The north
range itself has mullioned and transomed windows and
in the centre are moulded Tudor arches leading into
the courtyard. At least one of the massive chimneys is
original. Internally the first-floor rooms of this range
are decorated with wall-paintings of Sir Thomas
Smyth's time representing the story of Cupid and
Psyche. These have been identified as copies of a set
of contemporary engravings after paintings by Michael
Coxie (b. 1499). (fn. 92) They were probably executed by
a foreign artist. Each of the scenes has life-size figures
surrounded by a wide border of fruit and foliage. Parts
of two scenes were discovered in 1940 and presented
to the Victoria and Albert Museum. Three others,
which came to light in 1951, have been restored and
left in situ. (fn. 93) Traces of the painted border elsewhere
suggest that the series originally extended over the
whole first floor of the north range. At the north-west
corner of this floor and possibly at one time extending
into the west range is a set of biblical subjects. These
are at frieze level, probably indicating that the lower
part of the room was panelled. The two most complete
of the remaining pictures show Hezekiah at the temple
door and the destruction of Sennacherib. The latter
scene has always remained exposed and it is possible
that others were not papered over until early in the 19th
century. (fn. 94) Other early features in the north range
include an oak staircase, possibly not in its original
position, a stop-moulded door-frame, and several
plastered fireplaces. An elaborately carved overmantel,
formerly on the ground floor, (fn. 95) is now missing. At one
time the courtyard windows in this range contained a
quantity of stained glass, all reset. (fn. 96) Many of the
heraldic subjects, including the arms of Smyth, the
Tudor Royal Arms, and the crowned badges of Henry
VIII and Elizabeth I, date from the time of Sir Thomas
Smyth. One scene from a set of the Seven Deadly Sins
described by Strype (fn. 97) was still in existence in 1920.
The glass was damaged in 1940 and is still under
repair. Some has been reset in other windows of the
house.

In the courtyard all four walls have a classical treatment now generally believed to be the design of Sir
Thomas Smyth. It consists of a somewhat unorthodox
version of two superimposed Roman orders, Doric
below and Ionic above. The widely spaced Doric
columns stand on high bases and support an enriched
entablature resting on a row of modillions. The
imitation stone appears to have been renewed early in
the 19th century.

Across the courtyard the south range contains the
great hall with the original kitchen adjoining it on the
west. Two kitchen fireplaces with massive arches were
uncovered in 1951. Both these rooms, or parts of
them, originally extended to the height of two stories.
The chambers above are partly in the roof and have
16th-century brick dormers, whereas elsewhere in the
house the attics are modern insertions. The fittings of
the great hall were always classical in character. The
fireplace still exists and has half-round Doric pilasters
and a pediment. Its ornament includes a bust of Sir
Thomas Smyth and shields bearing his arms and those
of his second wife's family. Two oak screens have been
replaced by the present imitation marble columns. (fn. 98)
The west screen had round-headed openings and
Corinthian columns on high bases. Above it are the
arms of Elizabeth I. The two-story screen on the
north side may have been altered in the 18th or early
19th century. It is said to have been used originally
for the display of a collection of armour which largely
disappeared at the time of the Commonwealth. (fn. 99)

The south front of this range has an applied classical
order with a deep entablature at eaves level and large
Doric columns at the angles of the two projecting
towers. If these last are the work of Sir Thomas
Smyth they represent an isolated and very early
example of the use of giant columns in this
country.

The first extensive alterations to the house were
probably completed in 1714, a date which appears on
the rainwater heads of the east front. The sash
windows on the south and west fronts may have been
inserted at this period. The north front was brought
up to date by the addition of a central pediment (now
missing), a Doric portico, and a clock turret surmounted by a bell cupola. The absence of any older
work inside the east range suggests that it was built or
rebuilt at this time. Facing east a fine new facade was
contrived in the style of Queen Anne and during the
18th century this was considered the 'principal front'. (fn. 100)
We must assume that the great columns, similar to those
on the south side, were adapted or copied to form part
of the new composition. This includes a less ponderous
entablature and a central pediment. The tall sash
windows have the segmental heads and rusticated quoins
of the period. The treatment of the central doorway is
modern. In the pediment is a cartouche bearing the
arms of Smyth impaling Hedges. (fn. 101)

A general simplification of the exuberant Elizabethan roof-line probably took place at this period.
Plain parapets replaced gables and the chimneys are
known to have been rebuilt. The sundial on the south
front and the wrought-iron grille at the north entrance
are of the same period. Internally many insertions
were made, among them the fine inlaid staircase occupying the tower at the south-east corner of the house. A
heavily ornamented marble fireplace with flanking consoles was added to the chimney-piece of the Great
Hall, but this was later removed to the upper corridor
of the west range. (fn. 102)

The dates 1768, 1815, and 1844 all appear on the
walls of the house and it may be assumed that alterations
were carried out at those times. A tablet in the courtyard is dated 1815 and bears the initials of Sir William
Smijth (d. 1823) and his wife. This was probably the
date at which the cement work was renewed.

Soon after 1912 major alterations took place and
Hill Hall became one of the more luxurious country
houses of that time. Attics with hipped dormers were
inserted in the north and west ranges. The north-west
wing, incorporating the old gatehouse, was rebuilt as
staff quarters. A new kitchen wing was added. The
oak screens were removed from the hall. The interior
was expensively fitted out, many of the furnishings
being museum pieces. The dining-room was lined with
17th-century carved woodwork of Venetian origin. (fn. 103)
This and many other fittings were later removed.

The restoration of 1950-2 brought to light many
original features besides the wall-paintings in the north
range. Owing to its condition the pediment on the
north front was taken down, but as far as possible all
existing details were left unaltered.

During his lifetime Sir Thomas Smyth paid great
attention to the grounds of Hill Hall. He planted
orchards and a tree-lined walk. The approach avenue
to the north is said to be his work (fn. 104) and two of his fishponds remain in the garden as ornamental pools. Many
'improvements' were made to the park during the late
18th and early 19th centuries, including the removal
of Mount Hall, the inclusion of the parish church
within the park, and the construction of the long curving
drives to north and south. (fn. 105)

73. This is the view of Mrs. M. Dewar who is now preparing a biography of Sir Thomas Smyth.

74. In the sense, then current, of a senior artificer who sometimes, but not always, made the original drawings for a building. In this case it seems clear that the design was by Sir Thomas Smyth himself.